A Half-Blood Prince's Tale - Chapter One, The Hogwarts Express
by Helen Wells
Summary: Severus Snape always dreamed of going to Hogwarts and finally the time has come to pack his spell books, cauldron and wand and to begin his journey with Lily Evens at there first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
1. Chapter One

**A Half-Blood Prince's Tale.**

All rights reserved to J.K. Rowling.

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**-Chapter One -**

**The Hogwarts Express**

Standing on the platform of nine and three-quarters surrounded by busing parents fussing over their children as they moved towards the magnificent Hogwarts Express that was billowing steam across the platform making it hard to see the people around him. He looked up at the slightly hunched, thin, sallow-faced woman who greatly resembled him was his mother, Eileen Prince. She muttered and scoffed looking towards a family of four just a little way from them. Following her gaze he felt his heart leap at the sight of long dark red hair swaying and her brilliant green eyes glinting threw the steam. The young girl was arguing with her sister who had a sour, face and boney fetchers, looking very little like her sister. He thought he knew what they were arguing about and his suspicions were confirmed when Petunia's eyes found his and she seemed to brim with anger as she wiped back around to her sister.

Interrupted by his gaze at the Evans family was his mother who stepped in front and steered him away towards the train.

'Do our family proud' she said helping his trunk up onto the train as she gave him a weak smile and pulled him into a quick hug. A whistle sounded and family's quickly pushed their children onto the train. He glanced down the platform for Lily but she had gone. He turned back to his mother.

'Write to me and don't let father hurt you ok.' Snape said holding his mother's hands. A tear fell from her face as she straightened up and nodded. Snape quickly jumped into the train and leaned out a window along with other student to wave goodbye to their parents and as the train lurched forward billowing steam as gears screeched into life and they were off. His mother gave a small wave and turned on the spot and vanished in a cloud of steam. A scramble to empty compartments began. He was pushed and battered about as students quickly found there friends and relatives and clamed compartments as their own. He dragged his trunk to the closest vacated bathroom and changed into his school robes glad to be rid of his dreadful Muggle cloths. He then packed his things and hurried out and along the corridor of the Hogwarts Express as it clattered through the countryside. Peering into compartments he searched for Lily, hoping she had not already found a compartment full of other students. At last he stopped, outside a compartment in which a group of rowdy boys were talking. Looking in, hunched in a corner seat beside the window was Lily, her face pressed against the window pane. He slid open the compartment door, swung his trunk into the overhead compartments and sat down opposite Lily. She glanced at him and then looked back out of the window. He could see she had been crying.

'I don't want to talk to you,' she said in a constricted voice.

'Why not?'

'Tuney h-hates me. Because we saw that letter from Dumbledore.' He knew that's what they were arguing about on the platform and yet his feelings of loathing towards her Muggle sister did not waver. Did Petunia honestly believe if she had sent Dumbledore a letter, begging to be let into the school, even though she has no magical property's what so ever? He thought she was a silly Muggle girl who was just jealous of the powers us wizard and witches posset.

'So what?'

She threw him a look of deep dislike.

'So she is my sister!'

'She's only a –'He caught himself quickly; he notes Lily was too busy trying to wipe her eyes without being noticed, did not hear him.

'But we are going!' he said, unable to suppress the exhilaration in his voice. 'This is it! We're off to Hogwarts!'

She nodded, mopping her eyes, but in spite of herself, she half smiled. He felt warm inside seeing her smile and straightened up in his seat.

'You'd better be in Slytherin,' he said, encouraged that she had brightened a little.

'Slytherin?'

He wiped around to look at two boys sharing the compartment with them only just noticing them. The first boy slightly, black-haired like himself, but with that indefinable air of having been well cared for, even adored, that he has consciously lacked.

'Who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?' he asked the boy lounging on the seats opposite him. The boy did not smile.

'My whole family have been in Slytherin,' he said.

'Blimey,' said the first boy. 'and I thought you seemed all right!'

The other boy grinned.

'Maybe I'll break the tradition. Where are you heading, if you've got the choice?'

The other boy lifted an invisible sword.

'"_Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart!_" Like my dad.'

He thought to himself that and any wizard in Gryffindor was stuck up and arrogant and made a small, disparaging noise. The first boy turned on him.

'Got a problem with that?'

'No' he said, though his slight sneer said otherwise. ' If you'd rather be brawny than brainy-'

'Where're you hoping to go, seeing as you're neither?' interjected the second boy.

They both roared with laughter. Lily sat up, rather flushed, and looked at the too boys in dislike.

'Come on Severus, let's find another compartment.'

'Oooooo …'

The two boys imitated her lofty voice; and the first boy tried to trip him as he struggled pass with his trunk tripping and sending it flying and burst open.

'See ya, Snivellus!' a voice called, as the compartment door slammed …

Bright red he scrabbled about picking up spell books and cloths throwing them back into his trunk. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up at Lily and felt his face glow even redder as she smiled and bent down to help him gather his belongings. They moved back down the corridor peering into compartments till they came across an empty one. They settled in throwing their trunks overhead and plunking down on the seats opposite each other.

Severus crossed his arms and lifted his knees up and looked out the window feeling annoyed at those boys who geared at him. Lily had noticed his mood and gave him a small smile.

'You can't let those boys get to you Sev. I'm sure no matter what house we are put in we will still be friends no matter what.'

'Yer ok … Always' He said quietly still looking out the window as mountains and lakes wised by. She reached out and rested a soft hand on his arm as his head snapped back.

'Always' She whispered back. Then reaching up she pulled out a spell book and sat back down opening it at random and started reading. He looked back at the window and with the corner of his eye he watched her refection in the window thinking back to the long afternoons they had spent together down by the lake. He smiled to himself and closed his eyes, drifting off to sweet dreams were Lily was sorted into Slytherin.

A few hours later he felt himself being shaken awake as he had slid across the seats and was half hanging of the edge. He started and slipped, falling to the flaw and wincing getting up.

'What is it?' he said looking around.

'We are nearly there, the conductor just said we will be reaching at Hogwarts in five minutes and we have to leave our luggage on the train.'

'Oh, thanks.' He said sitting back down rubbing his elbow as he had landed on it in the fall. Lily giggled looking at him. He was confused and looked around and checked his reflection in the glass to see his hair was sticking up on od spots from the way he was sleeping. He quickly flattened it down and straitening his uniform.

'You slept for most of the trip, I saved you some chocolate frogs from the trolley lady if you want them.' She said passing them over. He took them gratefully as he realized how hungry he was. He opened the first packet and let out a gasp as the chocolate fog sprang into life and jumped onto the seat beside him. Lily squealed and drew her legs up.

'I didn't know they were real frogs!'

'Don't worry they are only enchanted see, look.' He pointed as the frog gave a little twitch and fell motionless again. He looked down at the wrappers and pulled out a card with Professor Dumbledore with half-mooned glasses, had a long crooked nose and flowing silver hair, short beard and moustache.

'Look this is Dumbledore.' He showed Lily the picture of Dumbledore. Just as he raised his hand and waved at Lily the train lurched to a stop and Severus was flung onto Lily.

'I'm sorry!' He quickly said and jumped up red faced. 'sorry …'

'Don't worry about it Sev, was an accident.' She said getting up blushing and quickly turning away putting her belonging back into her trunk. She then walked to the door and turned back.

'Come on Sev or we will miss the sorting.' She said with excitement quivering in her voice as she turned and headed off the train. He followed quickly at her heels as they stepped down onto the tiny dark platform. Severus shivering slightly looked around and spotted a giant of a man bellowing instructions. He was a tall rugged man with a matted brown frizzy hair down to his shoulders and was pulled up into a ruff ponytail. His beetle black eyes glinted kindly at all the terrified faces of the students looking up.

'First years! First years over here!' The man called out over the rabble of the students bumping and shoving each other through the crowd. Lily grabbed onto his arm and they moved towards the towering man.

'The names Rubeus Hagrid, but just call me Hagrid. Is that all of em'? Well come on! This way, mind your step.' He waved to them with a shovel sized hand to follow and he stomped on ahead down a small path leading to a lake were small boats were floating motionless. Severus looked up at a high mountain on the other side of the lake was a vast castle with is many brightly lit windows sparkling against the starry black sky.

'Right only four students to a boat ok? No more, that means you too!' he said gruffly glaring towards a group of students evidently trying to all fit onto the one boat and at the man's words scattered and found separate boats. Severus pulled Lily into the nearest boat were a boy already sat, thin and white with scars to his hands and face, he looked terrified sitting alone.

'Hello, I'm Lily and this is Severus.' Lily said smiling at the boy.

'My- my name is Remus, It's nice to meet you.' The boy stammered not looking over, gripping onto the side of the boat as it started to drift towards the castle. Lily leaned over and whispered.

'Look at his skin … He has scars all over him …' she said a bit scared and edged towards Severus. His heart leapt as she did this and he felt smug and enjoyed the short trip over the lake close to Lily's side. Bumping into the shore they carefully got out of the boats and trudged up the shore and climbed a flight of stone steps to a huge oak front door and Hagrid knocked three times on the castle door...


	2. Chapter Two

-Chapter Two-

The Sorting Hat

The Grand Oak Doors swung open at once. A tall thin witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a young yet very stern face.

'Hello first years. I am Professor McGonagall' she said in a matter of fact tone and turning to Hagrid, 'Thank you Rubeus, I can take them from here.'

She pulled the doors wide open and stepped threw as the students followed looking around in or. The entrance hall had a high ceiling too far to make out and the stone walls were lit with flaming torches, casting light onto the magnificent marble staircase leading to the upper floors. The sound of hundreds of voices came from a room to the right as Professor McGonagall walked them over to it and turned to face them.

'Welcome to Hogwarts,' said Professor McGonagall 'The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly but before you will be sorted into your houses. This process is very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be you family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory and spend free time in your house common-room. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose house points.' She said this last statement looking over at the two boys from the train, who had started to talk to Lupin in loud whispers and seeing McGonagall's face fell silent. Lilly looked over at them frowning.

'The four houses' she started again louder this time 'are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. At the end of the year the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be credit to whichever house becomes yours. Now you will enter in a moment and be sorted in front of the whole school, so while you wait in silence I suggest you smarten your selves up' she said eyeing the boys from the train. She then turned on her heel and disappeared threw another door.

'How do they sort us?' Lily whispered leaning over to him.

'I'm not sure …' Severus whispered back as Professor McGonagall had returned.

'Form a line and follow me.' She said. He moved around still with Lily by his side with a short boy in front of him who had bucked teeth and short mousey brown hair and was fiddling with his robes looking around nervously. The Professor then pushed the doors open and they filed in jaws dropping as they walked in to a grand hall with four house tables fill with students sitting around them looking up at the first years. Nudging Lily they looked up and saw hundreds of candles floating in midair against a star strewn sky above. They reached the far end of the hall and all stood around looking nervously at an old hat on a stool. Professor McGonagall began to call out first year's names and they stepped forward up to the stool as they sat down McGonagall placed the hat on their head and a mouth ripped open.

'Hufflepuff!' the hat called out and down the list she read. The two boys from the train were James Potter and Sirius Black who both fell in Gryffindor.

'Evans, Lily!' She called and Lily walked forwards with trembling legs and sat down upon the rickety stool. Professor McGonagall dropped the Sorting Hat on to her head, and barely a second after it had touched the dark red hair the Hat cried, '_Gryffindor!_' His heart sank he let out a tiny groan as he watched Lily take off the Hat, handed it back to Professor McGonagall, then hurried towards the cheering Gryffindor's, but as she went she glanced back at him and gave him a sad little smile. Severus saw James and Sirius move to make room for Lily but she took one look at them and turned away sitting down with a group of girls. He grinned to himself.

'Snape Severus!' McGonagall called. He walked determinedly towards the hat and tripping slightly on his robe blushed and sat down as a ripple of laughter sounded around the hall. McGonagall placed the Hat on his head.

'_What do we have in here? Which one do you really want to be with?' _The Hat spoke quietly as Snape muttered quietly.

'Slytherin. Please Slytherin!'

'Are you sure? I can feel your mind is not so sure… well if your heart truly does desire it…' said the Hat with a sad sigh.

'_Slytherin!_' cried the Sorting Hat. Severus got up slowly and gave back the Hat to McGonagall and moved to the where the Slytherin's were cheering him to where he sat down beside a boy with a glinting prefects badge gleamed upon his chest. The boy patted him on the back and smiled. For the first time he wanted to be a Gryffindor so he could sit with Lily and enjoy being in the same house. He looked gloomily down at his plate full of food and didn't not fell hungry as students around him began to drain there goblets, sliver cutlery clanked and tinkled as they stuffed there faces.

'I'm Lucius Malfoy' the prefect boy said stretching out a hand pompously.

'Severus Snape' He replied shaking hands and slowly began to eat.

'Aren't you going to introduce me?' a girl sat beside him with the same glittering badge on her chest.

'Oh … yes sorry, this is my girlfriend Narcissa Black' He said waving a hand in her direction.

'Pleased to meet you' he said still looking at his plate grumpily.

'What's wrong with him?' Narcissa whispered to Lucius and he shrugs carrying on eating. Severus turned around in his seat looking through the students to the Gryffindor table. He caught a glimpsed of Lily smiling and laughing with the girls beside her. He turned back around sour-faced and stabbed at his potato.

'You know that you can do better than that.' Lucius said following Severus gaze to the Gryffindor table. He grit his teeth conflicted with these emotions to join Lily but to stay loyal to his house. When Dumbledore had gotten up and spoken, the sound of hundreds of chairs scraped the floor as hundreds of students heading out the great hall and threw the entrance and up and down the stairs to their house common rooms. Following closely to Lucius he called out to the first years to follow him to the dungeons. They walked down flights of stairs and along the walls were covered in portraits of old men and women who looked down their noses at the students as they past.

'Threw here' Lucius stopped at a stretch of bare, damp stone wall. 'Pure-Blood' He said and a concealed door slid open and they moved in. The first years all mingled about in the center of their common room looking around. The long dark room with a greenish glow resonated from green lamps hanging by chains from the high ceiling. A warm fire was crackling under an elaborately carved mantelpiece ahead of them.

'Boys dorms are to the left of me and Girls to the right, that's all you need to know now clear off!' He said coolly turning taking Narcissa's arm and steering her to an arm chair closet to the fire. He turned and followed the other boys down some stairs to the boy's dormitory. He walked along the long room looking at the beds searching for his trunk. There, right at the back he saw his belongings and slowly began to unpack. He lay down exhausted looking up at the ceiling thinking of Lily up in the Gryffindor's common room and rolled over hoping he will at least have the same classes together and with that though dropped off to sleep almost immediately.


End file.
